Performance of complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices have been enhanced via increases in drive current achieved via strain induced band structure modification. Channel regions formed in a silicon layer under biaxial tensile strain have allowed enhanced electron mobility to be realized for NOR NMOS devices. This is accomplished via formation of the silicon layer on an underlying relaxed semiconductor alloy layer, such as a silicon-germanium layer, which in turn is formed on the underlying semiconductor substrate. In addition, enhanced hole mobility can be realized via formation of a POR PMOS device in a silicon-germanium layer with biaxial compressive strain. The presence of the performance enhancing silicon-germanium layer however presents difficulties during subsequent metal silicide formation processes. For example, silicidation processes, applied to a CMOS source/drain region will consume part or all of the silicon-germanium layer overlying the source/drain region. During the silicidation process, germanium atoms tend to segregate and accumulate at the surfaces of the metal silicide grains. The resulting germanium-rich interfacial layer at the surface of the metal silicide grains behave as a diffusion barrier and retard complete formation of the desired metal silicide layer, thus resulting in a lower than desired conductivity of the metal silicide layer when compared to metal silicide counterparts formed from non-semiconductor alloy layers. The decrease in metal silicide conductivity or the increase in metal silicide resistance will negatively influence CMOS performance.